NORTHWEST COLORADO NEWS FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 2ND

Posted onJune 2, 2013byKRAI|Comments Off on NORTHWEST COLORADO NEWS FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 2ND

Fish Free Today

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s annual Free Fishing Weekend ends today. Each year, the agency designates the first weekend in June as the only two-day period that anglers all around the state are not required to have a fishing license. For the rest of the year a fishing license is required for anyone 16 years and older.

Rollover Sends Man To Hospital

A single car rollover accident twelve miles west of Craig Friday afternoon required Craig Fire Rescue to bring out the Jaws of Lift to extricate the driver. The driver was taken by ambulance to the Memorial Hospital at Craig. The name of the driver and his condition is not known at this time. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the accident.

Tree Clearing Begins Today On Howelsen Hill

The City of Steamboat Springs has contracted with a local logger to remove about 25 mature Douglas-fir trees from the Howelsen Hill Ski Jump Complex starting today. This work follows the treatments started last spring. A forest health assessment conducted by the Colorado State Forest Service last week indicated that there are still trees on the hill infested by Douglas-fir beetles — close relatives of the mountain pine beetles that have affected millions of acres of lodgepole pine forest in Colorado. A combination of timely tree removal, pheromone deployment and continued monitoring is expected to help in the control and abatement of the Douglas-fir beetle problem in the forested area around the jumps. Another significant reason for removing the trees is that, when dead, they represent a hazard to recreational users and the ski jumps themselves. Trail closures will be necessary during the removal phase of the work and the city requests that all trail users respect the closures for safety reasons. A crew will be working on site felling dead and infected trees during the week.

Be Bear Aware This Summer

Black bears have emerged from their winter dens and it’s time for Colorado residents to take precautions to help keep bears wild.

Because of dry conditions in some parts of the state, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are cautioning residents that bear activity in towns and residential areas may be high again this year. Human-bear conflicts are a fact of life in Colorado, but with some simple actions residents of bear country can help to significantly reduce those conflicts.

The biggest issue in conflict situations is the availability of human sources of food — garbage, pet food, livestock food, compost piles, bird feeders, chicken pens, etc. Bears have a phenomenal sense of smell and can pick up odors of food sources from miles away.

“Bears receive a big calorie reward if they get into something like pet food, or bird seed or leftover pizza,” explained Patt Dorsey, southwest regional manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Once they get a taste they quickly become habituated to human food and conflicts start. When that happens, things usually don’t go well for the bear.”

Once black bears have discovered a food source they may defend it and can become dangerous. Those types of situations can be dangerous and it is undesirable to have wild, unpredictable animals in close proximity to people.

“Some bears can be relocated. But bears deemed dangerous must be destroyed. We put down problem bears because we have to, not because we want to,” Dorsey said.

From the Front Range to the mountains to the Western Slope, Colorado offers bears good natural habitat. Bears will go to the areas with the best food availability, and it’s best that they find their food in the wild. If food sources in town are limited, bears will likely spend more time in wild lands.

Colorado residents play a major role in keeping bears wild, explained Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager in Montrose.

“The public can help us by being conscientious and not leaving any types of food available to bears,” DelPiccolo said. “Without the public’s diligence in reducing human sources of food, we have limited success in avoiding and reducing conflicts.”

Please, follow these tips to keep bears out of trouble and to reduce conflicts:

Obtain a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster. Check with local authorities or your trash service to determine what types can be used where you live. Keep garbage in a well-secured location; and only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.

Clean garbage cans regularly to eliminate food odors. If you don’t have secure storage, put food scraps and items that might become smelly into the freezer. Then put them in the trash on pick-up day.

Don’t leave pet food or feeding bowls outside.

Attract birds naturally to your yard or garden with flowers and water features. For those who use bird feeders, suspend them high above the ground so that they’re inaccessible to bears; clean up beneath them every day and bring them in at night.

Tightly secure any compost piles. Bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food.Clean-up thoroughly after picnics in the yard or on the deck. Don’t allow food odors to linger.

If you have fruit trees, pick fruit before it gets too ripe. Don’t allow fruit to fall and rot on the ground.If you keep chickens or other small livestock, build a secure enclosure and bring the animals inside at night. Clean up pens regularly to reduce odors.

Keep the bottom floor windows of your house and garage doors closed when you’re not at home. Lock car doors.Never intentionally feed bears or other wildlife. It’s illegal and dangerous.

When backcountry camping, hang food high in trees; at campgrounds, lock food and trash in vehicles.